Screaming tweens are ripping off the lifesize Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson promotional cutouts from Burger Kings around the US. TMZ reports that BK outlets have to keep replacing the posters after they’ve been stolen by girls in broad daylight:

There’s a “Twilight” crime wave sweeping the nation — particularly at Burger King restaurants — and all the suspects seem to be the most fearless creatures on the planet … teenage girls with a crush.

TMZ has learned multiple Burger King restaurants across the country are reporting life-size promotional posters of Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson are being ripped right off the BK windows in broad daylight … horrible time for a vampire.

So far, the interstate theft has affected BKs in Maine, Delaware and Montana. One Burger King rep tell us, “The girls just walk up in the middle of the day … rip off the posters and run … we’ve had to replace them over and over.”

[From TMZ]

I finally saw New Moon this weekend, and while it was cheesy as hell and definitely geared to young girls it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. The melodrama was laid on with a trowel and the first half of the film dragged, but once the action picked up it was pretty fun. The film was true to the book and really took the material into flat soap opera territority. They could have made it a more intelligent and less centered on Bella’s one-dimensional lovelorn angst.

It seems fitting that New Moon is doing a cross-promotional effort with Burger King. It’s like they’re not even trying to protect the Twilight brand and are going for a mass marketing blitz over even a smidgen of exclusivity. There are “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” value meals, BK crowns and water bottles for God’s sake. Oh – and in one scene in New Moon, outside a movie theater, a Burger King bag was visible in several shots. I’m surprised the characters didn’t go out for Burger King and pose with the sexy plastic-faced BK guy. Maybe Burger King will cater Bella’s wedding in the next installment. The vampires will all moan that it’s too bad they can’t eat human food and enjoy a burger packed with cheese, bacon and fire-grilled taste achieved with flavored chemicals from New Jersey. (I got that from Fast Food Nation. I still enjoy a burger now and then from McDonalds or BK.)

New Moon was finally toppled from the top of the box office in its third weekend. Sandra Bullock’s The Blind Side has also been out for three weekend, but did a little better than New Moon this weekend to reach number 1 with a $20 million take to New Moon’s $15 million. E! Online reports that New Moon will probably make a whopping $600 million worldwide. Box Office Mojo has the current take at around $500 million.

The fourth book in the Twilight series, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn will be most likely split into two films for maximum profitability. The films are being shot back to back with a new director, Spanish horror filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona. Maybe he’ll add some legitimacy to the series. Not that it will affect the very fat bottom line at all.

Update: Eclipse has already been shot and has been directed by David Slade. It will be out in June, 2010. (Thanks guys for setting me straight!)

Burger King photos via Joelk75, iantmcfarland, and ima girl on Flickr.